Natrona man survives near-drowning on Allegheny River in Plum
Share this post:
Cliff Jones isn’t second-guessing his decision to buy a kayak on Friday.
What he does regret is nearly drowning Saturday on the Allegheny River and throwing a scare into the people who came to his rescue.
Jones, a 55-year-old property manager from the Natrona neighborhood of Harrison, took his new kayak out on its maiden voyage late Saturday afternoon. At one point, a man and woman on a jet ski came perilously close to Jones, he said. The waves from the jet ski caused Jones’ kayak to flip over, submerging him.
He thought he might drown.
“He came right by me. It happened so fast,” Jones said. “I never thought a jet ski could take me out. I flipped (the kayak) right back up, but I couldn’t swim to shore. I was out of breath.”
Jones held on to his kayak — which was now filled with water. He had lost his oar and his life jacket, which he said he had taken off because he was hot.
Onlookers could see he was struggling, and friends from Logans Ferry Marina on pontoon boats were able to help Jones get back to the shore.
“Thank God, they were coming,” Jones said.
“I grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him up. He looked like he was done,” said Bud O’Connor, 54, New Kensington. “He was drowning.”
Shortly before 6 p.m., a Eureka Fire-Rescue-EMS boat out of Tarentum was sent out and another was launched from Springdale, but by then Jones had been rescued.
“I’ve been on this river for 40 years,” Jones said. ”I’ve raced speed boats, I’ve done underwater diving. I just made a mistake because I’ve never owned a kayak.”
Jones said he plans to take his kayak back out.
Meanwhile, he has some advice for fellow kayakers.
“Here’s my suggestion: Keep your life jacket on.”